The problem is always me.

I spend weeks of my life pouring over gear manuals, thinking about this plugin vs that plugin. Or pro tools vs cubase, push vs maschine. We live in such an amazing technological age it’s just ridiculous how many tools we have.

However I find they don’t push my art ahead. Sure maybe a new synth can be inspiring or a new compressor can help me get the sound out of my head a bit faster. But they can be a crutch. When I rely on the tools over honing my craft I fail every time. 

If I don’t constantly focus on the fundamentals EVERY DAY I get distracted by stompboxes and software with dazzling features. I always find myself spinning my wheels. You must step back from the marketing and focus on the passion on the song or painting or whatever it is you make. Tools help get you there but that’s it. If you can’t create decent digital art with the free tools available online then hone your skills. 

For me that means learning more about proper orchestration and melody writing. More about telling a story with music. Every time I finally grasp one concept I find myself lost with another. I once thought I was an expert, but now I know that beginners get the edge when it comes to creativity. Because they see all the possibilities. Possibilities the expert rules out early as stupid. How do you improve and keep a beginner’s mindset? It feels like a cruel game of tug of war, but there can never be a victor. So we move ahead. What else can one do? 

Practice I suppose. But that’s the rub, you can waste a life being distracted by the latest shiny object or you can get to work. Then do it again the next day, and the next.